Message from the Chief

Please join us on our journey as we relentlessly pursue our overall mission to promote health and combat disease in endocrinology and metabolism through high-quality, cutting-edge research, education, and clinical care.

Endocrinology is the study of how all cells and tissues in our bodies communicate with each other to maintain health. Given its fundamental role in the physiology and pathophysiology of virtually every organ system, the endocrine system is clearly highly relevant to all sub-specialties of medicine. Diseases of the endocrine system, such as obesity and diabetes, have reached epidemic proportions and are leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Thus, there is a tremendous need to combat these increasingly prevalent disorders.

Thus, to achieve our overall academic mission, we have developed the following missions across our core academic areas:

• Our research mission is to create new knowledge that will improve the prevention and/or treatment of endocrine disease through cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research.
• Our educational mission is to cultivate the next generation leaders in the field of endocrinology through rigorous education, training, and career development.
• Our clinical mission is to promote health and combat disease in endocrinology through innovative, high-value clinical care.

In addition to the above, we are experiencing an unprecedented evolution of the health care and biomedical research landscape. This transformational change is driven, in part, by rapid advances in technology as well as escalating health care costs. These changes have led to the emergence of more personalized, patent-centered approaches to medical care that incorporate the full spectrum of genomic and phenotypic data to address individualized patient needs. However, many challenges persist in efficiently and effectively translating these advances into practice. Overcoming these challenges will increasingly rely on more multidisciplinary, collaborative approaches that are integrated across all core academic areas. I look forward to rising to the challenge of providing the best of the best of tomorrow’s endocrine care today.

We encourage you to follow us on social media (@UPittEndo) or contact us at any time.

Thank you for visiting us.

Erin E. Kershaw, M.D.
Chief, Division of Endocrinology